Over 5,000 cases registered under POCSO Act from 2012-15

New Delhi, May 30 (IANS) A total of 5,217 cases were registered between the years 2012 to 2015 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which deals with issue of child sexual abuse, Delhi Police told the high court on Monday.

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath was informed by police that out of 5,217 cases, untraced/cancellation reports were filled in 252 cases. A total number of 575 cases are still pending investigation for the period over three months, it said.

In 251 cases, the investigation are pending since more than a year, in 90 cases more than two years, and 14 cases are still pending investigation stage for than three years, said the Delhi Police report.

Filing the status report on the cases pending under POCSO Act, the Delhi Commission for Women also told the court that in April 2016, there have been 331 cases registered under POCSO Act.

It said that total, 3,191 cases were pending pending trial in different district court in Delhi from 2012 to 2015.

The plea filed by NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s organisation, sought expedition of cases registered under the POCSO Act and also demanded a more robust redressal and rehabilitation programme for the victims.

The plea sought directions to police to complete investigation in cases registered under the POCSO act within a period of three months.

Appearing for NGO, senior advocate H.S. Phoolka sought that failing this time-bound investigation, the state police be obliged to file a written report before the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) which should then issue necessary directions. The petitioner also sought monitoring of the rehabilitation and counselling of alleged victims of POCSO act under the supervision of the DCW and DLSA.

The bench asked DLSA to file its report by August 31.

The POCSO act was notified in 2012 to effectively address sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children.